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Loyal customers dropped by Broadmoor Florist Thursday to check on the shop and its owner after fire threatened the business overnight.

But the minor smoke and exterior damage from the late-night blaze didn't stop the popular local florist or the adjacent Little Black Dress from keeping the doors open to holiday shoppers.

Shreveport EMS Officer Clarence Reese said Shreveport Fire Department responded to the fire around 12:30 a.m. Thursday at Broadmoor Shopping Center in the 3900 block of Youree Drive. The fire was contained around 23 minutes after 10 units and 26 firefighters arrived at the scene.

Smoke and fire damages were reported in a rear, exterior area behind Broadmoor Florist, where the blaze reportedly began. In the shop next door, Little Black Dress also sustained some smoke damage, but neither location was prevented from normal operation as locals make their rounds for the mid-December shopping rush.

“We’re still in business — just a little smoke,” Broadmoor Florist owner Mike Evans said Thursday morning.

Although the popular florist was temporarily operating without electricity or phone service, customers continued stopping in to check on Evans and his co-workers. One woman dropped in late Thursday morning to drop off cinnamon bread and coffee from a local Starbucks.

"We're still up and running, but people will have to stop by until we get the phones back up," Evans said.

Evans has been running Broadmoor Florist for nearly 20 years, almost half of which have been at the current location. He hoped to have phone service and electricity restored by mid-afternoon.

Next door, at Little Black Dress, Brooke Moore had the doors propped open to get rid of any of the remaining fire odor, which was minimal.

“It’s just a little smoky, so we’re trying to air it out,” said Moore, who has been working as the boutique’s assistant manager since July.

Store owners Kimberly and Alexandra Harris were flying in to assess the situation at their store, Moore said.

Little Black Dress has been open for around three years. The posh space specializes in fashion-forward cocktail, formal and casual attire for women. The owners recently opened a second location in New Orleans.

Neither business sustained any interior damage; however, the smell of the overnight fire lingered Thursday afternoon.

Reese said late night workers at a nearby business reported seeing smoke and flames near a gas meter behind Broadmoor Florist. Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the rear of the two businesses and portions of the roof.

No injuries were reported. Both businesses were closed at the time of the fire, which is under investigation.

Other businesses in the shopping center were operating under normal circumstances and were free from any effects related to the fire.

At Edible Arrangements — situated beside the Little Black Dress boutique — employees said they were without gas first thing in the morning, but services were quickly restored and didn't interrupt any activities.

“We’re so thankful they were here,” said Moore about the immediate response of SFD to prevent the fire from spreading any further or damaging the businesses’ interiors. “It could have been a lot worse.”